WIP #4- could use some tips please.

M

montana guy

Joined
Dec 18, 2009
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472
So here is knife number 4, not sure what this style is called. It is a single bevel, 660 layer 01 and 1095, 6 3/4" X 1 3/4" blade, 12 3/4" overall, and about a 1/4" thick near the handle knife that so far I really like. Maybe just cause it is different a little.
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Not sure if I like the shape of the handle, got too make another one anyway cause this one has a few bad spots where the 1/8" end mill bent egging out the holes. ( I was going down SLOW to, took almost an hour to do the 10 holes)
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This is the first knife I have tried to bevel on the contact wheel, not sure what that kind of bevel is called? All my others have just been straight bevels. Where I am running into trouble is here,
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can't seem to get that corner crisp. If you remember my homemade grinder my contact wheel does not have a work rest on it.
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This bevel is completely free hand. So any tips on how to get a nice crisp corner? If a work rest is all it takes I'll make one. ( I did do them uneven for practice sake, figured I would not get it right on the first try) I have quite a bit more to take off until the line to edge is even on the tip.
A few other pics. Still a very long ways to go on this one.
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Any tips, critiques, or advise are greatly appreciated. I really want this one to come out nicely.

Thanks all
Ronnie
 
Looks like an interesting piece. Handle looks a bit small though, but seems designed to fit your hand. The style of blade that resembles is a Tanto.

If it had been my knife, I probably would have kept the overall width of the blade the same from the handle forward and even narrowed it a bit.

Since you are having to redo the handle, I would make it bigger then it would look more in proportion to the blade. Even then you could probably take some off the width make it more symmetrical.

Bevel looks damn good for free hand :)
 
Thanks for the input. I have been walking around the house holding it and playing with it, my wife keeps looking at me like I am some kind of nut job, but after doing so I do not like the feel of it, comfortable for a few minutes. I would not want to have to hold onto it for any long period of time. So the new handle is going to be different, just not sure what..I am open to suggestions. It does need to be bigger I do agree with you there GrizzlyBear, but a different shape, or maybe just smaller spaces between fingers. Guess I'll sleep on it.

Thanks again.
Ronnie
 
If you're going to have the finger cutouts, I would curve the back of the handle to flow more with your hand. I think the handle needs more meat to balance the blade out, that's probably where it's not feeling right.
 
To me it looks like something is missing from the handle. For a blade that big looking the handle looks like it doesn't belong on it. I would have the handle curve like Grizz mentioned. If you want finger grooves in the handle for every finger I would make them curve and come to a point between each finger. Grab a piece of Play-Dough roll it into a log and then grab it and squeeze a bit. You'll notice the areas between each finger are very narrow. That tip btw was told to me from Bladsmth on here and a great way to mold scales or handles for a knife. Get some modeling clay or Play-Dough and mold your handle out of it. You can pick up a 4 pack of play-dough for like $2. Something along the lines of this is what I'm talking about for the finger grooves. I just opted to not put one between the middle and ring finger. BTW love the RATM CD selection but not big on the Jay-Z :D

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That knife is ready for HT and I still can't decide if I would like it better as a 3 finger knife....I know the handle is too long but I think it fits my need. Good chance I'll make a 3 finger one of them in the future :D
 
Fletch, not to hog the man's thread but I got a couple suggestions.

Maybe put some lines cut into the spine where it curves up as the thumb rest.

And, maybe round the points of where the handle goes between your fingers and at the ricasso. Not much, mind you, but they look really sharp in the pic.
 
Yeah I made the finger areas less pointy that was taken right after the bevels were done. Lines in the thumb rest is a possibility as well probably use a hacksaw or something similar. I really need to get myself a checkering file too.

Alright enough hijacking his thread :D
 
Well after getting the new handle to the point I was ready to start shaping it, I dropped it and it broke. Unstabilized wood sucks. I wanted to buy a piece of black G10 so I guess I will wait until I have a few extra bucks and buy a good chunk of it.

zaph1, here you go. Included a few pics of my steam/air engine also. The cannon is a .32 cal bore. Being cold rolled steel, I do not see myself shooting it anytime in this lifetime. It would handle a small charge I am sure but if I want to shoot something I have guns. Still have some light sanding to do to it but for some reason I never have any sand paper...knives...lol. I left the ends of the mounting shaft long because someday I am going to make a little set of gears and a hand crank. The marks on the cannon barrel itself are intentional, was all smooth and shiny but I did not like it. The base is also intentional, marks are from a fly cutter feeding through fairly fast.
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Well, it's your thread so it isn't hijacking. . . .As much as I love the cannon, I think the air engine is even more awesome. Mount an old grinding type pencil sharpener on it and that would be amazing. As for the cannon, it would have to be mounted on the helm of the boat, with a jar full of black cat firecrackers in the storage bin! You should consider submitting a picture of it to cannon-mania. It's an awesome site for cannons.

http://www.cannon-mania.com/foundry.htm
 
Thanks, they where both fun to make. Killed some time doing it. The air engine is a hoot, don't have to put very much air at all to it for it to work. Put a steady flow through it and it goes so fast I have to hold it in place or it will walk away. I might put my cannon on that site, might build a better one to sometime. Mine seems rather sub par compared to what is on there.

The air engine is made from mostly aluminum so it would not last long if it was actually used to drive something. A steel one could be made real easy to, it is a very simple design. The crankshaft is the only part that really takes a little time to make, took about 3 hours to make it.
 
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